"Pretending to Care"
Todd Rundgren
From the album "A Capella" (1985)
Transcribed by Brian Canfield
I love this song (especially after hearing that live rendition last year), and I've been
meaning to transcribe it into something playable. Even though there's no instruments per se,
the wall of voices can still be translated into chords (like Lin Sprague did for "Johnee Jingo").
Intro:
G/C C/F F/Bb Bb/Eb
Eb/Ab G7 E/F# Fmaj9
Verse:
Bm/E Cmaj7
Today I am your chariot horse
Bm/E A7
Tomorrow I'm your albatross
C D
Suspended by the finest thread
Bm7 C
No one could ever see
Bm/E Cmaj7
And when there's breathing in your ear
Bm/E A7
You put your faith in all you hear
C D
But just how deep those feelings go
Bm7 C
I have no way to know
Bm7 C
I'll never know
F Bb
If I was blind
Gm7 Dm7
Would you still be my eyes
Gm Am Bb C Am
Or hide everything you see
F/A C/Bb Bb F/Bb F Bb
(A-C-F) (G-C-E) (F-Bb-D) (F-A-C)
Pre tend ing to care about me
Gm7 Dm7
When all the time
Gm Am Bb C Am
You're just wishing I'd fade away
F/A C/Bb Bb F/Bb Csus4 C
(A-C-F) (G-C-E) (F-Bb-D) (F-A-C)
You can't bring your self to
Bm/E Cmaj7 (etc..as before)
Say out loud the reasons why
You won't admit you realize
The promise you've been living by
Is just an empty shell
You'll come to bear it like a cross
Then start to tear it like frayed gauze
Though I'm ashamed to be afraid
I just can't help myself
Can't help myself
--------------------------------------
The song sounds good on an acoustic guitar, or a piano. I mostly indicated straight chords..the only
part where I did specific voicings was for the part where Todd sings, "Pretending to care about me.."
You can play the chords however you want, I've indicated mostly barre chords..
Chords used in the verse:
Bm/E = x79777
Cmaj7 = x35453
A7 = 575655
C = x35553
D = x57775
Bm7 = x24232
Chords used in the chorus:
F = 133211
Bb = 688766
Gm = 355333
Am = 577555
Dm7 = x57565
F/A C/Bb Bb F/Bb
x0756x 6x555x x1333x x1321x
Pre tend ing to
Csus4 = x35563
Questions/Comments: dontpoll@aol.com